Third Coast Pocket Conference

Inspired by a Lego time machine her son built, Iceland-based independent producer Rikke Houd created a tool to help producers take advantage of the vast space radio offers. In this session from the 2014 Third Coast Conference, Rikke demonstrates how thinking about your story as an exercise in time travel can add depth, perspective and pleasure to your work. Note! You may want to keep a drawing of The Radio Vertikalisator handy while you listen. And you'll definitely want transcripts of Rikke's non-English language audio examples. You can find both here: http://bit.ly/pocket30  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Attention new producers! Before heading out into the world with headphones on and mic facing forward, what do you need to know? Here's where you find out. Armed with a multitude of audio examples, Rob Rosenthal discusses story-making preparations - from research and interview planning to thinking in scenes and collecting ambient sound - and shares thoughts on making a go of radio for a living. Recorded at the 2006 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Documenting somebody else's life is one of the hardest challenges producers face in their work. Over an extended period of time relationships intensify, stories often change drastically, and the line between personal and too personal blurs easily. In this two-part session, producers talk with the subjects of their work about the stories they've documented, the struggles they faced together throughout the process, and what they've learned from each other through the experience. Documenter and Documentee (part two) is moderated by Joe Richman, and features Michele Norris (NPR) and Sharon White, the subject of two pieces Norris produced on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Recorded at the 2007 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Documenting somebody else's life is one of the hardest challenges producers face in their work. Over an extended period of time relationships intensify, stories often change drastically, and the line between personal and too personal blurs easily. Two producers talk with the subjects of their work about the stories they've documented, the struggles they faced together throughout the process, and what they've learned from each other through the experience. Documenter and Documentee (part one) is moderated by Joe Richman, with producer Mary Beth Kirchner and Rebecca Peterson, the subject of Kirchner's A Year to Live, A Year to Die. Recorded at the 2007 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ever wonder what inspires, obsesses and ignites the Kitchen Sisters? Find out during this hour-plus showcase of audio (and other less-evolved art forms) culled from their accidental archive and the stirring work of others. Among other surprises you'll hear shards of sound, music, film clips, and many, many stories. Recorded at the 2008 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here's a conversation about the essence of story. Any story. Through the lenses of radio, video, music and structure, Snap Judgment's Glynn Washington digs into the nitty-gritty of narrative, and explores what it means to impart meaning and inspiration over the air - especially if your method flies against current radio conventions. Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When done well, investigative radio stories have the power to change the world. But it's not easy. All those documents, numbers and unnamed sources who don't want to go on tape make investigative stories seem like the least friendly radio stories on the planet. NPR's Laura Sullivan breaks down the critical pieces that make investigative radio stories an art form of their own, the structure that brings them to life and the moments that leave other forms of journalism in the dust. Recorded at the 2014 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At every Third Coast Conference we hear from producers and audio makers whose work inspires us. But what inspires them? In 2007, we got to hear a taste from seasoned producer Jay Allison, the co-founder of Transom.org and the Public Radio Exchange. In this session, Jay shared work that is full of play, experimentation and surprise — stories that keep the creative spark alive, even in an otherwise serious radio world. Ok, here’s Jay Allison with ‘In Praise of the Sandbox’. Recorded at the 2007 Third Coast Conference  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Imagine reporting in a culture that speaks a language your listeners don't understand, and covering issues your listeners don't totally care about - all in a country that doesn't even want you there in the first place. Add to this unforgiving news deadlines, and you've got the life of a foreign correspondent covering the Arab uprisings and their aftermath. In this session, NPR's Kelly McEvers shares her work and talks about how to tell memorable radio stories, despite limited resources on all fronts. Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Guess what? You can tell great stories on the news, too. In a good story, something happens. You care about the person it happens to. There are stakes, an arc. Hopefully some suspense. You know, like the stories you hear on the programs you love. But it's also possible to make news stories... great. Maybe you can't use mood music or fancy sound design. But you can report like you're making a documentary, even if it you have to do it in one day. In this session, Marianne McCune tells you how. Recorded at the 2014 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Drawing from radio and beyond, Jad Abumrad shares the stories, sounds, people and projects that have most inspired him over the years, and talked about some of the creative challenges he's faced (and embraced) along the way. Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We need to talk about race - with humanity and humor. NPR's Code Switch project embraces the themes of race, ethnicity and culture that play out in our lives, but are often overlooked in our radio stories. Code Switch's Shereen Marisol Meraji shares her methods of looking at news stories through these lenses, and leads a spirited and frank conversation about how to tap into dialogues about race happening outside of public media. Recorded at the 2014 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Danish-based producer Tim Hinman, of the podcast Third Ear, finds inspiration for his exquisite sound design at the movies, and in this session he shares how it’s done. Hinman will use a ton of examples to take us through the entire production process, from recordings to final mixes, to demonstrate how to make sound a more dynamic storyteller in your work. What you’ll have, he says, is sound that is bigger, louder and prouder than ever before. Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What separates a “good” program from a “great” program is often the clarity of its vision: what is the show and who is it trying to speak to? In this session, Audible’s Eric Nuzum shares the process he uses with creators to define their program idea and clarify how it’s different from anything else in the universe. He’ll use lots of examples to show how this process works and teach you how you can do it on your own and with collaborators. Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s becoming more common for podcast producers to work with composers to create an original soundtrack. At this session, producer Michael May and composer/producer Nick DePrey share their techniques for bringing a piece to life with music and sound design. Learn how to conceptualize your perfect score and communicate it to a composer. And don’t miss their live demonstration where they’ll score a piece of tape volunteered by a Third Coast participant. Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.